The injury gods giveth, and they taketh away. Fantasy football owners primed for a playoff run were getting Justin Jefferson back last week and looking at Nico Collins as a WR1 in Houston without Tank Dell. In the end, the fantasy community was given neither, as both players exited with injuries and appear questionable, at best, for Week 15.
Below, we’ll give you the latest news on these key WRs and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 15 fantasy landscape.
For updates on banged-up QBs Justin Herbert and C.J. Stroud, click here. For news on ailing RBs Alexander Mattison, Jerome Ford, and Josh Jacobs, go here.
WEEK 15 FANTASY: Top waiver pickups | FAAB budget planner
Justin Jefferson injury update, Week 15 fantasy outlook
UPDATE: HC Kevin O’Connell said Monday that Jefferson is considered day-to-day and has a chance to play on Saturday.
Jefferson (chest) made his triumphant return to the field on Sunday, lasting long enough to have a cup of coffee and a buttered roll. The receiver exited the contest in Vegas before halftime, hauling in two-of-three targets for 27 yards in what was not a game for offense. After missing the past seven games due to a hamstring injury, fantasy owners got their first taste of seeing Jefferson with a QB not named Kirk Cousins. Considering it was a Joshua Dobbs throw that landed Jefferson literally in the hospital, we’ll assume they were less than impressed. Fortunately, the hospital visit was ultimately precautionary, and the WR was able to travel back to Minnesota with his Vikings teammates after the game, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It seems likely this new injury could impact Jefferson’s practice availability in the lead-up to Week 15. The Vikings are slated to play the Bengals on Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati.
Fantasy owners don’t have to wonder how the Vikings would look without Jefferson since we had a seven-game sample size. Jordan Addison slides in as WR1 with K.J. Osborn and Brandon Powell playing complementary roles, but TE T.J. Hockenson becomes the real No. 1 option. Fantasy teams that just got through this stretch without Jefferson likely already have their replacement plan still in place.
WEEK 15 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Nico Collins injury update, Week 15 fantasy outlook
Collins (calf) exited early on Sunday against the Jets, with the MetLife Stadium turf seemingly looking to claim another player this season. The receiver did not return after leaving in the first quarter with just one catch for 13 yards. Collins previously missed Week 10 and was limited in advance of Week 11 with the same ailment, making the apparent aggravation a concern. Unless it was just extreme precaution, we can expect a week of questions and limitations for Collins, who seems to be on a collision course with the “questionable” tag, at best, heading into Week 15.
WEEK 15 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
The Texans have been battered in recent weeks, losing star rookie WR Tank Dell (leg) for the season, Dalton Schultz (hamstring) for a few games, and C.J. Stroud to the concussion protocol on Sunday. Collins had really emerged this season with steady QB play, and losing him for any amount of time would be a massive hit to this offense. Houston couldn’t move the ball on Sunday without him, and their playoff hopes took a big hit with injuries piling up. Noah Brown, Robert Woods, and John Metchie III figure to all have some level of involvement, with Brown being the nominal top option. It remains to be seen, however, if Brown can recapture that same production without Collins and Dell taking attention away from him.
